1 Kings 8:31"If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swear before your altar in this house;
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel, ~960 BC. Solomon continues his dedication prayer, addressing specific legal situations where people would come to the Temple to swear oaths...
The emotion here: sobered by the responsibility of establishing justice systems under God
The original word
alah (אָלָה) — a curse-oath, calling down judgment on oneself if lying
Why it matters
Ancient oath-taking involved walking between cut animal pieces, symbolizing 'may this happen to me if I lie'
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 8:31
This isn't about religious ceremonies — it's about Israel's legal system using the Temple as a supreme court for unsolvable cases
Common misconceptionMost people see this as ancient religious ritual. It's actually Solomon establishing the Temple as Israel's highest court for cases where human evidence isn't sufficient.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 8:31
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 8:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 8:31 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include justice, oaths and truth. Notable phrases: if a man sins against his neighbor; oath is laid on him. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 8:31 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "deciding"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.